Humour: Dr. Fevikwik

 

 

My India great has many unique qualities that make it great. There is a saying that no country becomes great merely due to its mountains, rivers and forests, it becomes great by the hard work of its citizens, by their honesty, discipline, their intelligence, education and valour. Recently, when a two-year-old boy suffered an injury over his eye, the boy's family rushed him to a nearby private clinic. The doctors, ward boys and compounders there asked the family to bring a tube of fevikwik worth five rupees from the nearby market. The family was upset. They did not even ask why Fevikwik? Nonetheless, they brought it.

 

Now 'Doctor' Saab took the tube and filled the fevikwik the injury. That’s their way of Emergency treatment. I had heard that a sealing box named 'Dr Fix It' ad comes for preventing water leakage. Dr. Saab fixed the wound with fevikwik itself. We badly need such revolutionary doctors. Just five rupees fevikwik and cure is sure, strong and unbreakable.  When the parents expressed surprise, the doctor assured them that this is the latest technique. He has been treating it for years. Even when his own child was hurt, Fevikwik came in handy. Parents insisted "Dr. Saab! at least give him tetanus injection” Dr. brushed it aside ‘there was no need for injection, fevikwik is sufficient. 

 

The child was in pain and cried all night. Early in the morning the child was taken to another Dr. who was shocked to hear the tale of fevikwik. He immediately carefully cleaned the fevikwik. The injury was given four stitches. The ointment, bandage and medication were provided along with tetanus injection. The doctor told it was good that Fevikwik did not go into the eye. If it had gone into the eye, the vision could have gone forever. As per last report the Doctor Fevikwik had quickly vanished from his clinic. When the uproar persists, what happens in our country? Set up an Inquiry Committee. So, an Inquiry commission has been set up. I remember an anecdote when the child had stomach pain, the lazy-illiterate father gave a spoonful Vicks to child to consume, presuming if Vicks is Good for Headache, the same should hold good for stomach pain.  It is said that nowadays Doctors clip the stomach by the help of ‘stapler’ thus, reducing the size of stomach, smaller the stomach lesser the food intake. When we were kids, it was widely believed by we kids if there is an injury and no cure is available just urinate on your injury.  On minor cuts, I have seen my grandfather pasting thin paper of beedi packing. I had heard of a Dr. Aloe vera. He had planted the entire Aloe vera garden in his bungalow. Now whoever (patient) comes, someone was given Aloe vera to eat, someone to drink, someone to apply on the affected part. He had full faith that Aloe vera alone is enough to cure mankind of all ills, all-in-one. His practice went on reasonably well. If Fevikwik manufacturer want, they can now run a series of ads highlighting medicinal quality of their product. After all, in Punjab villages ‘washing machine’ is utilized to make lassi. This is called 'Appropriate technology'.

 

We call it Jugad. Long live our indigenous Jugad!!